International: Cooperation

Intergovernmental transport organization, ending its activity, seeks employment for its personnel, including experts of various nationalities, in transport, legal, and economic matters, interpreters and translators [English, French, Russian, etc.], administrative officers, including accountants, secretaries, shorthand typists, clerks.—Apply to European Central Inland Transport Organization, 19, Avenue Kléber, Paris.

This situation-wanted ad spelled the end of the European Central Inland Transport Organization, created at the end of the war to restore Europe's transport systems. For its untimely death it could thank one of its members, Russia.*

Before ECITO was set up 21 months ago, Russia said she would join only if & when the Polish Government, then called the Lublin Government, was recognized by the U.S. and Great Britain. Recognition came and Russia joined ECITO. Then Russia insisted that ECITO have seven chairmen instead of one, to rotate every four weeks. This meant more of ECITO's precious money for more private secretaries, more interpreters, more supplies of whiskey. When Russia's turn came to take the chair or prepare a report, the Russian member was either sick or in Moscow for consultations. When a Europe-wide locomotive census was ordered, almost no returns were reported from the Soviet sphere.

Then Russia insisted on a cut in ECITO's budget; after it was cut, Russia paid only part of her quota, and ECITO got into arrears. Today Russia owes $312,000. ECITO is disbanding, broke, and the world has had another lesson in Soviet international cooperation.